Two probes on my fingers measured my microsweat, temperature, and heart rate. An electrode on the top of my head recorded brain electrical activity. A band around my stomach and a sensor on my shoulder measured my breathing and muscle tension.

At 18, Catherine Richardson’s life was all planned out: she was getting amazing grades in her first semester of university, pursuing her dream of being an occupational therapist, and working part-time as a dance instructor. Everything was going according to plan – until she came down with the flu.

More than 840,000 Canadian men are affected by depression each year. Around 11 per cent of men and 16 per cent of Canadian women will experience major depression in the course of their lives, according to Health Canada. It is also the second leading cause of disability worldwide.

You fell in love, dated, and decided to get married. Congratulations! Now comes the fun of planning the wedding, as well as all the potential stressors and exorbitant costs that can accompany the magical day.

You may not have ever heard of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, but anyone who has had cancer – or known someone affected by it – should pay attention: researchers believe people living with LFS may hold the key to learning more about the mysteries of cancer.

Last August, 21-year-old ballerina Lucila Munaretto was in a coma and fighting for her life.
But now the young dancer is back on stage, performing on Saturday for the first time since the rollerblading accident that left her critically injured just four months ago.

Our class doesn’t want to produce yet more ‘doom and gloom’ Chinese environment stories. By focusing on China’s inspiring young environmental activists, we want to not only show the environmental challenges China faces, but also the potential solutions and glimmers of hope.

High-tech computer software. Infrared cameras. X-ray beams. A GPS system.
This may sound like the makings of a great science fiction film, but it’s real life: VERO – one of the most cutting-edge radiotherapy machines in the world – is currently being installed in Vancouver’s BC Cancer Agency.

When Sara was 10 years old, she was diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer and given just months to live. Yet two years later she is still alive and enjoying life, something her family credits to the “amazing” medical treatment she received at a Langley, B.C. hospital.

When David Pennington wakes up on April 18 he plans to hit the ground running – literally – as he begins a two-month fundraising trek that will see the B.C. man run from the U.S/Mexican border all the way to Vancouver.

When Annet Janssen’s infant daughter died two days before her delivery date, the family was devastated. But a second disappointment came when the stillborn, named Reyanna, had to be taken away to the funeral home just a day later.

Aggressive behavior. Male dogs wandering far from home. Neglect of stray pets. Animal cruelty.
These are just some of the challenges a First Nations community, a mobile veterinary business and the BC SPCA are working to counter in the province’s Cariboo region.

Numerous human-caused fires over the long weekend – including one near Harrison Lake, another in Surrey, and a blaze along the Sea-to-Sky Highway – have left fire officials across the province frustrated.

“One of the best parts of life is uncertainty, so I didn’t know what to expect“, says Staff Sgt. Mark Horsely, who has worked with the Vancouver Police Department for 30 years. “My boss tied a pork chop around my neck, threw me into a shark tank, and so we will see what happens from there.”

Vancouver may be known for its weed-friendly attitude and beautiful gardens, but passersby were still surprised to notice what appeared to be a thriving marijuana plant growing in a city traffic circle Monday evening.

Ballerina released from hospital 6 weeks after rollerblading accidentRead Post

It was an emotional reunion for an Argentinian ballerina Saturday afternoon as she returned to her Vancouver dance studio for the first time since a rollerblading accident left her in a coma six weeks ago.

Argentinian ballerina in coma after North Van rollerblading accidentRead Post

Seva’s model is simple but effective: locate some of the most remote parts of the poorest countries in the world, provides these communities with access to high-quality eye care, and train locals to continue administering this care to their own people, creating a long-term solution.

A yoga instructor sits at the front of the room, leading a group of cross-legged Vancouverites through a series of poses and exercises. The men and women sit with their eyes closed, breathing deeply.
It seems like a typical hatha yoga class – except for the 10 rabbits hopping around the room.

The Catfé will open sometime in October at International Village Mall, 88 West Pender St.
To ensure food safety standards are met the café will be divided into two sections, with one side serving refreshments and the other acting as a cat lounge.

It was a fairy-tale ending for Sam the killer whale when the young orca was seen reunited with its family in early July.
Sam, who also goes by the scientific name T46C2, was just two years old when researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada found it swimming alone in a cove on B.C.’s central coast in August 2013.

“It’s interesting when you talk about Lego – everyone approaches the subject matter with a smile,” said Vaughn. “Sometimes they’re either laughing with you or at you, but there’s always engagement of humour and joy.”

It’s an overcast May afternoon and tourists are photographing a site in Berlin. But this isn’t just any tourist destination: this is the Topography of Terror, a location that once housed the SS, SD and Gestapo headquarters, and where the Nazis planned the extermination of millions.

I attended a death café this month. I tell people this because of their reactions.
“Is that where Toronto’s goths meet?” one person asked. “Does everyone dress in black and do morbid things?” wondered another.

The Fraser Valley is the agricultural mecca of British Columbia. But Ned, a former chief of the Sumas band sees it as something different — just 90 years ago 11,000 acres of this valley were under the waters of Sumas Lake.

At age 18, Lauren Stinson faced the typical issues of people her age — social life, educational choices, finding a career. But Stinson, who has cerebral palsy, also faced another challenge — adapting to life without a medical support team.

Less than three months after the honeymoon, Manji was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, an extremely rare cartilage cancer. The tumour was the size of a medium Tim Hortons cup, and it was nestled against the right side of his spine.

Like many 21-year-olds, Kelsa Hague is trying to figure out her career, hang out with friends and care for her assorted pets. But unlike other people her age, she is also waiting for a drug that could save her life.

Farmer Cheng Wang navigates his delivery van through a labyrinth of streets. The back of his vehicle is packed with hand-labeled bags of vegetables; the aroma of coriander and celery fills the air. But this is no ordinary produce, it is grown without any pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

‘No help past Hope’ for children with cerebral palsy, B.C. families sayRead Post

Angus Mitchell, 26, was shot dead by RCMP in May 2012, three months after he was arrested under the Mental Health Act. He was released after he was deemed not to meet the criteria for involuntary admission to a psychiatric hospital.

After bringing a newly purchased rifle to a Victoria-area clinic on Feb. 7, 2012, police confronted Angus Mitchell in his home. He answered the door with his knife in his boxer shorts, according to documents read during the inquest.

He has two furry legs, four green wheels, and zooms through the town. Meet TurboRoo, a teacup Chihuahua with a handicap from Speedway, Indiana that is using an innovative, 3D-printed cart to get around.

For years the thousands of birds killed by smashing into glass buildings in the GTA have made headlines around the world. But what you might not know is that almost 40 per cent of the birds that collide with these buildings survive…

The dilemmas we face: how young journalists draw ethical red linesRead Post

My editor was adamant that speaking to the woman’s family was top priority, so I immediately called the police to see if the family wanted to talk with me. They didn’t, an officer told me, at least for now. They were grieving and wanted privacy. I assured him I understood—but my editor did not.